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Functional Characteristics of Disruptive Behavior in Developmentally Disabled Children with and without Autism

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Expanding on Reese et al. [2003], functional behavioral assessment interviews [O’Neill et al., 1997] concerning disruptive behavior were conducted with parents of 23 children with autism (6 females, 17 males, chronological ages [CA] 24–60 months) and 23 controls without autism pair-matched for CA, developmental age and sex. All children exhibited frequent disruptive behavior. The interviews suggested that matched control children’s disruptive behavior typically functioned to gain attention or items, or to escape demands in general. This was also true for girls with autism. For boys with autism, disruptive behavior more often functioned to (a) escape demands that interfere with repetitive behavior, (b) retain access to an item used in repetitive routines, or (c) avoid idiosyncratically aversive sensory stimuli (e.g., ordinary household noises). These results emphasize the importance of considering behavioral characteristics that are associated with sex and specific disorders or syndromes when conducting functional behavioral assessments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, University of Kansas Medical Center , Kansas City, KS, 66160-7340 , USA

    R. Matthew Reese, David M. Richman & John M. Belmont

  2. Department of Human Development and Family Life, University of Kansas, Lawrence , KS, 66160-7340 , USA

    Paige Morse

  3. Developmental Disabilities Center, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, KS, 66160-7340, USA

    R. Matthew Reese

Authors
  1. R. Matthew Reese
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  2. David M. Richman
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  3. John M. Belmont
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  4. Paige Morse
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. Matthew Reese.

Additional information

David M. Richman is now at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

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Reese, R.M., Richman, D.M., Belmont, J.M. et al. Functional Characteristics of Disruptive Behavior in Developmentally Disabled Children with and without Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 35, 419–428 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-005-5032-0

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